Morbus
by wolveswolvesandmorewolves
Summary: when an illness called Morbus strikes Emily, what happens next?
1. Prologue

**I _did_ read your comments and heard some of your ideas for a new story. Here you go!**

**Ok so the following is kind of a backstory since I couldn't figure out how to fit this into somebody's thoughts or something. **

_Ever heard of the plague? Yellow fever? Some illness that's terrible that I couldn't remember to add? _

_ You know how it goes: it starts by something small and then kills off like a country before people actually realize something is going on. They realize that it's terrible and sad and horrifying, blah blah blah. _

_ Think that's bad? You don't know what you're talking about. _

_ So while the people that weren't in Alledia were suffering from stuff that exists for a century or so before some scientists kills it off, the people of Alledia were suffering from Morbus. _

_ It all started back when there was life everywhere. Cities were big and crime was small and nobody got hurt and rarely got sick. People were happy, and there wasn't wars, and Alledia was at peace. _

_ It started in a small hospital in Gulfen. Elves who had been exploring new and uncharted territory came back with minor injuries: a cut here, a bruise there. But the cuts were black instead of red, and their bruises were a deep black on their skin. The nurses and doctors in the hospital never seen it before. _

_ Little did the elves know, the black blood and the dark bruises were a bad omen. While they had been in the woods exploring, they accidentally caught a strain of Morbus. _

_ The nurses and doctors were surprised and concerned. The elves were in pain and they ate very little and were a sickly green. Nobody knew what to do, and after a few days they died. But Morbus spread through the hospital, infecting everybody, and nobody was safe. _

_ Eventually, word spread of Morbus. People tried to prepare and stay safe but they didn't know what to do. People told them to do things to keep them safe but none of it worked. _

_ Soon Alledia became a graveyard. People couldn't be buried fast enough and were left out to die on the streets. If you were still alive, you were safe inside your homes, cowering in fear. _

_ After a while, a scientist in the mountains created a vaccine. Word spread quickly through Alledia, and eventually every single person had been treated. They buried the dead and repopulated, and Morbus hadn't been heard of again. _

_ Did it die? Or is it still there, weakened yet deadly, trying to prey on somebody who hasn't been treated?_


	2. Late night snacks

Emily

I won't lie: I didn't know what to do anymore.

After I found out the truth about my stone, I was shut up in my room for most of the day. I didn't know who to trust. Vigo, Luger, Trellis, Enzo, Rico and I were the only ones on the Moth now that Navin was a pilot and Miskit, Leon, and mom were in Ceilis. They were all good friends, but could turn against me easily. They knew the lay of the land better than me and could easily just dump me in the middle of nowhere.

Once again, I mentally made a list in my mind.

**_Priority List_**

**_ Defeat the stone_**

**_ (After I defeated the stone guy, wouldn't the Elf King drop dead? That is correct right?)_**

**_ Figure out what to do next with my life._**

****Sounds easy right?

Wrong.

I didn't know who else the stone dude was controlling. Max clearly, also the Elf King, but maybe Trellis? He did say he did know who he was, so maybe he was possessed too or something. Either way, it affected my decisions greatly.

My stomach growled, and I bit my lip. Glancing at the clock on my desk, I realized that it was almost eight. I really needed to eat something.

Slipping off my shoes to make sure I didn't make much noise, I crossed over to the door. Untying my cloak from around my neck, I through it on the bed, deciding I didn't need it. As I stepped into the cold night air, I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of fresh air.

"Somebody finally shows her face."

I jumped, whirling to see Rico watching me. In one hand he had a broom and the other a pan, but I didn't really know what it was for since he could just sweep the dirt off the ship.

"Hey Rico." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry I haven't been around lately."

"It's okay. We don't blame you. We wouldn't be able to trust anybody either." He said, offering me a smile before continuing to sweep away the grit and dust.

"Has anybody come up with an idea to figure out what to do?" I asked.

"No. We bounced some ideas around at dinner, but none of them made much sense. We've all kind of been waiting for you to come up with something." He answered, sweeping it all into the pan before dumping it over the side.

"Well, I hate to disappoint, but I've got nothing. I've been sleeping most of the day."

"Really? Didn't you sleep last night?"

Did I try? Oh yeah. Did it work? Not so much. Every time I slipped into my subconscious, I would have a terrifying nightmare of some sort. According to the journals in the library, the stone guy is trying to torture me by replaying the bad parts of my life every time I go to sleep. And he's trying to scare me by adding himself into it.

Don't get it? Think of it like this: remember back when my dad died in the car incident? Well, whenever the stone guy showed me that memory, he would make it seem like he was making the car tip and fall. It's like mental Photoshop.

"Emily?" Rico's concerned voice brought me back, and I stared at him for a moment before remembering the conversation.

"Oh yeah. Nightmares."

"That's tough. I hope the go away." He said, and I felt a bit better.

"Thanks Rico." I say before walking to the kitchens.

"Anytime." He called after me.

When I got into the kitchens, I was happy to see that there was vegetables that Luger hadn't used and were in little containers. Popping off the lids, I poured a bunch of peas into my mouth before snapping it back on and chewing. A pot of cold spaghetti was on the stove, and I grabbed a wooden fork and shoveled some into my mouth before carrying on. Deciding that I needed to stay healthy and think ahead, I grabbed a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and some spaghetti in a container and shoved it off to the side for me to grab in a minute.

I was raiding the pantry for desserts when a soft knock interrupted me. Spinning, I saw Luger standing in the doorway, watching me pile up the food. I froze, deciding whether or not to grab the food and run or to continue on.

Glancing at the food, I realized I needed a lot more than that, and turned back to the pantry.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Getting food since I'm hungry." I said, nudging the bag of rice out of the way.

"You could've eaten at dinner."

"Wasn't hungry (lie)."

"Uh-huh." He said, but moved over to my side and pushed the potatoes out of the way, revealing a box of cookies.

"Thank you." I breathed, hugging the cookies to my chest before searching for more sugary stuff.

"Why haven't you been showing up to meals? We've been worried about you."

"You have been?" I asked, kind of shocked. They actually cared about how I was doing? I thought they just wanted me around to stop the stone guy.

"Well, yeah. Anyway, Vigo and Trellis want to talk to you, so I would go see them after this." Luger answered.

"I will (probably not). Thanks for letting me steal food." I say, and he grins and winks before following me out of the kitchens.

My arms were stuffed with food, and no matter how fast I walked, I still spilt something. I picked it up the first two times but when the third came I just left the spaghetti there and told myself I would get it later. After dumping the other food on the bed, I came back for the spaghetti.

Only to find Trellis standing there, holding the spaghetti in one hand. He looked at it then looked at me before arching his eyebrow.

"Shut up." I snap, snatched the spaghetti out of his hands, and then carried it back to my room. Footsteps behind me told me that Trellis was following me.

"Can I help you?" I asked after a minute.

"I believe you can. I'm looking for Emily Hayes: red hair, crazy temper, walking away from me…have you seen her?" He asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"What do you want to talk about?" I said, dumping the spaghetti container on my bed before popping it open and finishing it off. Trellis sat in the desk chair across from me, sitting in it the wrong way and facing me.

"Well, I would ask you how your feeling, but from the way you avoid everybody as much as you can, I guess I already can figure that out." He said.

"Oh really? And how am I feeling?" I challenged.

"Like you're unable to trust everybody. Like you don't know if they'll turn on you or not." He answered, swinging his arm.

He had me there. Damn him.

"How do you know?" I asked him.

"I used to be in that position. It's probably not fun, not being able to trust people, isn't it?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to agree with him, then shut it. Why was Trellis being all close and friendly now? He surely wasn't that way after we left the void. _'Let's just say we're even.' _ I could still remember the cold in his voice when he spoke to me most of the time….but what happened in the void? That moment when I found him in his memories and I told him he needed confidence and stuff (seriously Trellis?). Right before I blasted him out of there, he looked like he had been about to say something…

"Earth to Emily?" Trellis said, and I realized I hadn't said anything in a long time.

"What? Oh yeah. Not fun." I say, and he nods.

It was kind of silent after that. Not comfortable silence, more like the I-need-to-say-something silence that I hated.

"So Luger said you wanted to speak with me?"  
"Oh yeah. Do you have any ideas on what to do?" He asked me, and I shook my head.

"I've been thinking about it. But over the past few days I've been trying to get my life on track." I answer, shoving aside the empty container of spaghetti and reaching for the cookies.

"Totally understandable. Well, I got to go get ready for bed and what not." He said, reaching for the door.

Right before he walked out of my room, he stopped. "Emily?" He asked me, and I looked up from my cookies. "Can you promise me something?"

"What is this promise?" I asked.

He walked over to my bed and sat down. The moonlight made him look like a child, frightened by the real world. A grey skinned, very tall, white haired child.

"Will you promise me that no matter how many times I shove you away, you will always be there to help me?" He asked.

I swallowed, then spoke. "Of course I will Trellis."

I nodded, then stared off into space, I let him do that for a moment before snapping my fingers in front of his face. He stared at me for a moment, his gaze going from confusion to something else and then back to normal.

"Oh yeah. Got to go get ready for bed and what not. Bye." He muttered, and hurried out the room.

I watched him go, wondering what had just happened. Then I remembered the amazing tasty cookies in front of me before totally forgetting about Trellis and shoving cookies into my mouth.


	3. Black blood

By the time sunrise came around, I was out of food.

Impressive, I know, but over the course of the night I found out that the only way to stay up was to eat. I had empty boxes and a bag that once held a loaf a bread and an empty container around here somewhere. I had finished off everything at around five thirty but by then people were already awake, so I couldn't go get more food.

"Just have to push through it." I said to myself, clutching my growling stomach. I needed to do something to pass the time, so I grabbed a book and began to read, ignoring my protesting stomach.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and I looked up to see Luger in the doorway. His face looked concerned.

"Emily, are you okay?" He asked, and I shrugged. To be honest, I wasn't hungry anymore. Guess it must be a stomach thing.

"I'm fine." I say, going back to my book.

"When was the last time you ate something?"

"Five this morning."

"Emily, it's been fourteen hours since you've eaten something. You need to put something in your food box." He said, and I looked up. Sure enough, the clock on my desk said 7:30.

"So? I'm not hungry." I say, which wasn't a lie, and then went back to my book.

I didn't hear Luger walk up to my bed, didn't see the flash of silver in his hand as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was right until he was over me when I looked up at him.

"Luger, what-OWWW!" I yelped as he slashed my arm with the dagger. It cut through the fabric and hit the skin, making a gash on my arm.

He didn't' say anything as he leaned over to inspect it. His eyes widened, and I wondered what the heck he was freaked out about.

"Why did you do that for?" I complain as he ran his finger over the cut.

"Umm….nothing." He said, but I could tell that was a lie.

He rushed out of my room, leaving me to bleed. I just watched him go, wondering what the heck just happened.

I tried to move the fabric out of the way around my sleeve to look at the wound, but I couldn't twist my neck that far. Then I tried to twist the fabric off, but it was hard and rough.

Vigo was at my side, and I looked up to face him. He pressed his finger against the cut, making it sting a little, and then he rushed out too, leaving Luger to stay with me.

"Luger, what is going on?" I asked, a bit exasperated.

"What's going on?" A voice repeated from the doorway, and I looked to see Trellis standing there, looking shocked and confused.

"Look at her arm." Vigo said, and Trellis frowned and walked over before examining my arm and looking freaked out as well.

"Oh for the love of Alledia, I didn't think things could get worse." He muttered, and the three grouped together and had one of those whispered-conversations that I didn't like since it meant that they were trying to keep something from you. Ugh, I remember all those times in fifth grade….

Then a thought occurred to me. Were they planning on dumping me?

From what Trellis said, whatever was wrong with me was bad. Not fun. But if it was that bad (the point where you have whispered-conversations) then it must be really bad. And if it was that bad, then they probably didn't want me around in case whatever it was it was contagious.

"Guys, can you please tell me?" No answer. I just pushed on, not really knowing what to do.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can deal with it." Still nothing.

"Will you please tell me something?!" I said. Nada. Nyet. Nothing.

Deciding it was time to listen in, I focused my hearing and paid close attention. "Disease….black and slow….contagious….impossible….Trellis….mountains…. hurry."

What were they talking about?

Trellis walked over to me, and I snapped up to look at him. "Emily, we believe you have been infected by something called Morbus; a disease that infects the blood and makes it black and is extremely deadly. You need to eat, since the infection makes your senses dull so you can't be able to tell if you're hungry. In maybe ten minutes or so, we'll dock on the ground and we'll head up to the mountains since it's easier to walk up to the top than fly."

It didn't sound easy, but I held my tongue.

"So, like this is a quest or something?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yep, and it's me and you."

Trellis and I going on a quest? Together? As in camping/hiking up a mountain together? My stomach twisted, and I wondered on a scale of one to ten about the impossibility of actually getting along with him, ten being impossible and one being pretty good chance. I would say it was an eleven and a half, which is about the same as the chance of a snowball surviving in Hell.

"Sounds wonderful, great, amazing." I say, laying on the major sarcasm.

"Yeah I know. We should have the time of our lives." He said, voice dry and oozing with sarcasm as well. He clearly didn't like this as much as I did (see to the whole snowball-in-Hades reference).

"I know you guys aren't exactly best friends, but you two are the best fighters we have, okay?" Vigo said, trying to make things better. "So it's logical for the two of you to go on the quest together. As long as you keep eating Emily, you should be okay. With some minor side effects." He said, but I didn't really care about that last part.

"When do we send them off?" Luger asked, and Trellis rubbed his chin.

"Let's aim for nine. That is the safest time to go, since all the animals are sleeping." Mental note: stay away from the Alledian animals.

"Sounds good to me. In the meantime, you need to eat." Trellis said, walking out of the room before I could say something.

"I don't like this." Luger murmured. "She could get hurt or even sicker on this quest."

"We don't have much of a choice, Luger." Vigo replied. "You need to eat and sleep." He told me.

He didn't need to tell me twice. "Which one first though?"

"Try to sleep. You need your energy."

Like I could sleep after all that. "Can you give me some medicine or something for that?"

He reached up to my shelf and pulled down a small green bottle, twisted off the cap, and the poured some syrupy liquid into the cap. He handed it to me, and I swallowed it, coughing on the taste before swallowing it whole.

My vision tunneled five seconds later, and I passed out in my bed.


	4. First Night

About an hour and a half later, I was standing on the bow of the ship, watching the Moth slowly drift to the ground. To prepare, I had a belt of weapons around my waist and a bunch of blankets and stuff in my backpack. Trellis was grabbing the food/medicine that I would need and was apparently taking his time, but I tried not to be impatient.

"Hey." A quiet voice said behind me, and I turned to see Rico and Vigo behind me. Rico smiled in encouragement, but it didn't make me feel much better.

"Hey guys." I say, and Vigo smiled, his face and eyes warm. I hugged him, and then hugged Rico.

"I heard about your decease." Rico said, and I scowled.

"Everybody makes it sound like I'm about to drop dead or something." I mutter, and Vigo frowns, concerned.

"Are-

"NO!" I say, and he clutched his chest like I had frightened him.

"Sorry you have to go with Trellis." Rico said, actually sounding sympathetic.

"I accept your sympathy."

"And it seems like you'll need some luck on your side."

"Yep. Wish me some." I say, and he grins.

At that moment, Trellis walked out of his room, a bag similar to mine hanging off one shoulder. Hopefully his was full of food and medicine, unlike mine, which was full of blankets and weapons.

"Ready to go?"  
"Ready as I'll ever be." I murmur, and he nods silently.

"We'll be landing shortly." He said, then stalked off to go talk to Luger probably.

"Will he ever change?" Rico asked, watching him go.

"Fifty bucks says he won't." I muse, and he grins.

"You're on."

"Emily, please be careful." Vigo called at us, but we were already walking to the landing/loading zone.

Vigo

I watched Emily and Rico go, Rico's question running through my mind. _"Will he ever change?"_

Sighing, I walked to my room, wondering if he would change. Probably, but it would take time, especially being around Emily. What happened in the Void, I'll never know, but I could tell it was something scary yet intimate at the same time. Emily couldn't see it, but Trellis did. And he was clearly freaking out about it.

"Vigo, can I talk to you? Some place more private?" Trellis asked me the other day, and I lead him to the library.

"What's wrong Trellis?" I asked him, and he clutched his head, fingers seeping into his long white hair.

"I don't know. After that whole thing in the Void, I felt more attracted to Emily. I don't know why, but when I hugged her, I felt like I could just sit there forever, holding her against me. Totally fluffy, I know, but it's been giving me the willies." He said, looking distraught. I was trying to hold my laughter back at his antics.

"Trellis, I think I know what's wrong with you." I say, chuckling under my breath.

"Really? What?" He asked, looking at me with hope.

"You like Emily."

His face morphed from shock to horror. "What? NO! NO! NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS COULD THAT HAPPEN!" He yelled, clutching his head even tighter.

"Well, it happened, so it must be over a million years." I answer, and he scowls.

"That's impossible." He whispered after a long time.

I didn't reply, just in case he would get mad. Things were always kind of tight and sensitive around him, now that he was a teenager.

"That's impossible." He got up and walked out the door, then stopped. Turning back to me, he held his fingers about half an inch apart.

"Okay, I might like Emily, but just a little." He said, and then hurried out the library. I watched him go, smiling, and wondered if I should tell Emily.

No. She would take it the wrong way and push Trellis away even more. Best let things work out. Those two would be a cute couple, no doubt, and it was obvious they were supposed to meet for some reason. If Trellis' stone told him that he was supposed to find Emily, then maybe things would heat up between them.

*****  
Emily

In no time at all, we were on the ground, and Luger was hugging Trellis goodbye. Rico and I just shared a fist bump and I watched him walk back up the steps, turning to wave one last time before vanishing back into the ship. Luger followed him shortly, and I watched the ship float back up into the sky.

"What's the plan again?" I asked Trellis as we began our trek up the mountain.

"We'll head up the mountain, see this dude, get you healed, and then go over the mountain and into the valley on the other side, where the ship will be waiting." He said shortly, keeping his eyes straight forward.

I didn't know how to carry on the conversation, so I shut up. Trellis' legs were longer than mine, so I had to speed walk to keep up. Eventually it seemed like it was hard, and I slowed down and let him take the lead. Following him through the woods, I wondered how long we've been walking.

Focusing on the white in his hair, I wondered how it came to be that way. How his skin was grey and his hair was white. Kind of strange to me, but to him I probably looked strange, so I couldn't talk.

It must have been an hour or so before he stopped in a clearing, kicked some twigs out of the way, and then stood there in the center. "We need to sleep, so let's set up camp here." He commanded, and I pulled out the tent I had stuffed in my bag.

He helped me set it up, and eventually I was stuffing it with blankets (since we couldn't find a sleeping bag or two) while he was starting a fire. I watched him while laying out the blankets as he poured gasoline on the kindling he had and lit a match, and soon we had a good sized fire going on. He sat down in front of it, and I sat down beside him.

Wordlessly, he pulled out an entire freaking ham and sliced it right there, then grabbed some stick-like things and put the ham on an end and handed it to me. I grinned as I roasted it over the fire, watching the bright pink slowly dull as it cooked and sizzled.

After mine was done, I grabbed a plate and ate the ham, cutting it up with a kitchen knife Trellis had found. I watched him as he would occasionally lift a flask to his lips, then pull away after a long swig. From the way his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright, it must've been beer.

"I can't believe I'm out here, camping alone in the middle of a dangerous woods with you." He muttered, eyes still bright.

"Well, you're not the best companion to be with either, so we're even." I snapped, and he looked up at me.

"I didn't mean it like that. Please don't take it like that…" He trailed off, which was kind of strange since Trellis wasn't the trailing-off type.

"Why do you care?" I asked, but he didn't reply.

He looked at the fire, then back to me. When he did, he licked his lips slightly before leaning forward. His eyes shone with a deep emotion, something that looked like…lust. He was lusting over me.

_This isn't happening. This isn't happening_. I repeated in my head as he closed the distance between us.

His lips were inches away from mine, hot breath misting over my lips.

Suddenly an owl hooted, scaring the crap out of the both of us. He jumped back, and I bit my lip. _So close. _

I rubbed the back of his neck while Trellis remained flushed, as if he couldn't believe that almost happened.

"Um…anyway, night!" I said, then dived into the tent and zipped it up, listening to my heavy breathing for a moment. Then I put my head in my hands.

_What was I doing? I get away from the others and next thing I know I'm about to kiss Trellis! It's just being out here, with no one to chaperone us. Yeah, that's it._

Even my thoughts didn't sound convincing.


	5. Trekking

When I woke up, the sunlight was filtering through the trees, casting rays upon our tent. I yawned and stretched, then looked over and saw Trellis, who had changed out of his armor in the night and was wearing a pair of baggy grey pants. Without a shirt.

My eyes immediately went to his chest, and I watched it rise and fall with his breaths. Smooth, grey, and well-toned, he looked like a model for a designer. A white-haired, slitted eyes, pale skinned model.

Oh Christ. That didn't help slow my racing heart.

Diverting my eyes, I made sure that he was sleeping before slipping out of my blue shirt and into a better form-fitting tank top. It hugged my body and showed off my curves, but it could easily stretch and bend with me.

To substitute for a great, huge breakfast, I ransacked Trellis' bag and found a pan and a couple of eggs. I don't know how they hadn't been busted yet, but I decided not to push it and worry about it later. So instead, I relit the fire and broke the eggs, poured the yoke into the pan, and started making scrambled eggs.

Trellis woke up ten minutes later, and by then I was already eating my eggs and had a plate set out for him. He nodded to me great fully before devouring his eggs. After that, he managed to shove an apple, an orange, and a grapefruit into his stomach. I wouldn't be able to do that without throwing up, but he was growing, so I didn't make fun.

When he finished eating, he began to take out all the blankets and put them into my bag while I ate, and when I was done I wiped off the bits and crumbs off my plate and helped him with the tent. In about fifteen minutes, we were ready to go.

I let Trellis lead again and drifted off behind, keeping him in eyesight but not directly in front of me. Instead of paying attention to the land, I let myself sink into my thoughts.

_Yesterday, Vigo said something about side effects, didn't he? I wonder what he meant by that. I don't feel sick or anything, so whatever he was talking about either already passed or is coming. I hope it already passed. What was that little scene with Trellis last night? Mental note: once he isn't looking, get rid of the beer. A little sick girl and a drunk teenager trekking up a dangerous mountain=disaster waiting to happen. Anyway, does he really want to kiss you, or was he just drunk? I got to look into this…_

"EMILY DUCK!" A voice yelled, and I looked up just in time to see a hideous beast lunging at me.

******  
Trellis

I watched helplessly as the Scoria leaped at Emily and sank its claws into the earth around her body, flattening her. It growled low in its throat before scooping her up and placing her onto its back, unfurling its wings, and heading up the mountain. Maybe it's because I was hung over, but instead of helping Emily, I watched her go, her pale face etched with terror and her red hair streaming behind her. She couldn't jump without seriously hurting herself, and I couldn't match the speed of a Scoria.

What is a Scoria?

Scoria: (Skor-i-Ah), noun: a monster with the head and body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the tail of a scorpion. Have said to be extinct since the 1800s.

Well, apparently 'said to be extinct' wasn't extinct enough!

My heart ached suddenly. Emily was gone. Emily was _gone_. I was supposed to take care of her and there she was, being dragged away by a Scoria while I did nothing! Ashamed, I sat down on the rough earth and buried my face into my palms.

_My Emily, taken away, about to be devoured by a hungry_ _Scoria. Totally unfair, but I should've had my guard up. Instead I was getting all fluffy and emotional thinking about Emily when I clearly should've seen the Scoria coming our way!_

That was true: I had been thinking fluffy thoughts about Emily. Vigo was correct about me like Emily, since even my dreams had a dream Emily in them.

_I was back in Gulfen, but things had changed. Looking around, I recognized the stained glass windows and beautiful colorful walls, but something was off. Then I recognized it: I couldn't hear the sounds of soldiers stomping around the castle. Instead I heard the soft chattering of birds and the swaying of the willow trees in the garden. _

_ Walking down the hall, I stopped outside of the door. I didn't know why, but I felt as if that moment when I would open the door would change my life forever. Letting out a breath, I knocked quietly before opening the door and peering inside. _

_ The room was full of elf women, wearing gowns and maid dresses. They looked tired yet excited and happy as they stared at the bed in the center of the room. It was white and its sheets had been pulled up to cover Emily's lower half of her body. Instead of wearing her favorite blue or white gown, she wore a hospital gown. She looked up at me and I could see so much happiness in her eyes, and she smiled at me before gazing at a small bundle in her arms. _

_ My heart quickened, and I walked over to the side of her bed and saw a small baby wrapped in a white blankets, face and arms showing. The baby had pale skin and chubby hands, small fingers curled up to wrap around Emily's two fingers. The baby was sleeping, and I could see by the way its eyes fluttered it had grey eyes. It had a full head of hair that was a shockingly bright red, curling around its small delicate ears. _

_ "What do you want to call him?" I asked. _

_ "Well, I think we should call __her__ Sol, after the sun." Emily replied, and I stared at our little baby girl. _

_ The nurse maid in charge walked up to me with a smile on her face. "Congratulations my Lord. You have a healthy baby girl." _

I woke up with a jolt, breathing a bit hard.

Suddenly I heard a branch crack behind me, and I looked up from my palms to see a female Scoria approaching me. She stalked up to me, regarded me with careful eyes, like she was wondering whether or not to attack.

_Should I attack? No. She could lead me to Emily. _

I held up my hands in defeat, trying to show to the Scoria that I wasn't a threat. Then I wondered if that was the best way to get a Scoria to bring me to its home.  
"Please take me." I whispered, hoping it could understand me.

The Scoria gave me a look like 'oh, what the hell' before scooping me up with its claws and placing me between its shoulders and soaring up into the sky.

Emily

On the back of the beast, I tried not to look down so I wouldn't get sick. But I did anyway, wondering where we were going.

From the way the earth was sloping upward, we were heading up the mountain. Hopefully this creature could take me to the top where I could get cured or something.

Pressing my body against the animal's golden fur, I felt drowsiness washing over me. Could that be one of the side effects that Vigo was talking about?

I tried to keep my eyes open but the soft beating of the wings seemed to be soothing, and suddenly I was closing my eyes and falling asleep.


	6. Reyna

By the time I woke up, I realized I was on a cold metal floor. Groaning, I wondered if I had somehow tumbled out of bed in the middle of the night. Then it all came back to me.

I turned my head and looked to my left and saw Trellis, curled up and sleeping with his armor still on. The metal floor was cool under my skin and it felt good against my raging fever. Oh Christ, I had a fever. Side effect?

Flicking Trellis in the head, I woke him up. "Hmm?" He asked when he saw me, eyes clouded over with sleep. Then he blinked and sat up, picked me up and pressed his cool hand against my forehead. I leaned into it, thankful for the iciness in his fingers.

"You have a fever." He murmured, and I shot him a look like 'no, duh.'

"Trellis, where are we?" I mumbled.

He looked around, but as far as I could see we were surrounded by metal. Metal walls, metal floors, and a metal door in front of us. A red light gleamed over the entrance, and I had the feeling that it was locked.

"We've got to do something, but whoever put us in here locked us in here and took our stuff." Trellis said, pulling me close into his body.

"Ugh…" I moaned, feeling sick to my stomach.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door before it opened, revealing a girl with black braided hair in a black tank top and olive baggy sweats.

"Hmm. A teenage elf prince and a sick girl who could save Alledia. What to do about that?" She said, stepping into the dim light.

"Please don't hurt us." I whimpered, clutching Trellis' waist.

"Why would I do that? You clearly are sick, so you aren't much use. And neither are you Trellis, since almost nobody knows I'm alive, so I can't expose you without exposing myself." She said, holding out a hand. "I'm Reyna."

"Reyna? As in the daughter of the guy that created the vaccine to Morbus? I thought he was alive in the 1700s. How are you still here?"

"Well, the vaccine affects how you look. So, even though I'll like three hundred years old, I look like I'm fifteen." She said, and I stared at her.

"So, how will it affect me?" I asked.

"Maybe make you look a few years older, but it should be in effect for only a few days. Then you should look like yourself again, just a lot healthier." She said, and I nodded.

"We need that vaccine, now." Trellis demanded, but I grabbed his arm. Demanding something we desperately needed from somebody who may not give it to us wasn't the best way to go.

"Okay, but this is going to take time." She said. "We need to get Emily sedated, then we need to replace her infected parts of her body with new ones. After pumping out all the black blood, we'll replace it with fresh blood, then inject the medicine. This should take at least a few hours to do."

"We'll do it." Emily said, tried to get up, and then stumbled to the floor.

Trellis

Wordlessly, I picked her up and held her in my arms, then followed Reyna out the room and through the halls. "Where are we?"

"We are on top of the mountain. After I saw the smoke from your fire, I sent out my Scorias to find you and bring you here. Why? Nobody ever comes up on my mountain, so it was kind of strange." She chattered.

I decided to remain silent and strong as always as I followed her into a room that had a single white bed in it. Laying Emily down on it, I watched Reyna as she stuck an IV into Emily's arm, then poured some liquid into a plastic bag that moved the clear liquid through the tube and into her blood stream. Or at least that's what Reyna said was happening.

Emily had already fallen asleep and was snoring softly. "You should leave her be. When she is completely sedated, things will get ugly."

I didn't trust her entirely, so I shook my head. She shrugged before examining the medicines on a little tray, moving some aside and putting others on Emily's bedside table. While she did that, I held Emily's hand and willed for this to work, for her to get better.

I must've fallen asleep, because when I woke up I saw Emily wearing a hospital gown and had a pipe pumping blood into her wrist. Reyna was nowhere to be seen, and I gently reached forward and stroked Emily's face.

"If it makes you feel better, I have armor from my father around here somewhere." A voice said behind me, and I turned to see Reyna standing there.

"That sounds good." I reply, and she taps on my shoulder to gesture for me to follow her out of the room and into another room that was more like a closet than a room.

She started scouring through the clothes and pulled out some silver armor, which included a chest plate, arm covers, and a collarbone protector. "Here." She handed it to me, then looked away while I changed.

"Looks good." She said when I finished changing. "But you need to fix your straps." She walked behind me, and as she did I glimpsed at her face and saw a blush on her cheeks.

I felt her adjust the straps before facing me again. "So, are you and Emily a couple or something?" She asked, but I shook my head.

"We-we aren't like that. We're just friends." I said, but I didn't really believe it.

"So she wouldn't mind if I did this?" She asked, and suddenly her cool hands were pressed against my cheeks and she was kissing me softly on the mouth.

"Trellis?"


	7. Way home

Emily

When I woke up, I saw that the whole curing-Morbus process had already passed, and I pulled out the IV before following Trellis and Reyna into the closet. I kept a distance though so they wouldn't see me, but I eventually lost them and found them again. But instead of seeing Trellis happy to see me, I found him kissing Reyna.

"Trellis?" I asked, and the two jumped away. Trellis was breathing heavily, and as soon as he saw me his cheeks flushed and he winced.

"Emily, this isn't what it looks like." He said, putting up his hands to try to calm me down (never ever tell a girl to calm down).

"Uh, this is exactly what it looks like. Trellis, I was going to tell you that I like you but after that little scene I can clearly see what type of person you are, and I'm sorry that I had to burden you with my emotions towards you." I snap, and then grab our bags from the closet and stomp out of the room.

"Emily, wait!" Trellis was running behind me, so I sped up. "I didn't kiss her, I swear. And I like you too!"  
I didn't know what to believe. He clearly snogged Reyna and now he was telling me he liked me? Such a player. "Trellis, you're such a player." I tell him, and he catches up to me and stops me.

"Emily, please." He whispered, staring at me directly in the eyes. Before I could do anything, he clutched my shoulders and was pressing his lips to mine.

His lips were soft and warm, and after a moment I kissed him back. He bit gently on my lower lip and I opened up, and our tongues wrestled. His fingers curled into my hair and he pressed me closer to him, deepening the kiss and making me moan.

When we broke apart, we were breathing heavily and flushed. My lips were tingling and I wondered if he meant that or if he was just trying to get me on his good side.

"Trellis, I…." I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Emily, are you okay? You don't look okay."

"I feel fine." I say, my brow furrowing.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure…" My vision tunneled and I collapsed on the floor, sleep washing over me.

Trellis

After Emily passed out, I curled her into my chest and quickly said goodbye to Reyna before leaving. From what Reyna told Emily, she was going through the whole side-effects thing and would look older than she really was. I wondered how old.

As I trekked down the mountain and into the valley, I saw the Moth waiting for us at the bottom. The thought of seeing Luger again and getting Emily up on the ship made me speed up, and soon I was jogging downhill.

Thankfully, the way down wasn't as steep or as long as the way up, so I easily got to the bottom and to the ship. Vigo and Luger were descending down the stairs when I appeared, and Vigo took Emily from my arms and carried her onto the ship. I felt a slight pang in my heart as I watched her go, but then let it go when Luger started asking questions.

That night I stayed up until midnight, wondering what Emily would look like.

_Well, she'll look older. I wonder what she'll look like tomorrow. Older than me or younger? Hopefully younger, or that would be awkward._

I tried to imagine an older Emily and failed. _I guess I have to wait until tomorrow. _With that I fell asleep.

Emily

When I woke up, my long hair seemed even longer. Running my hands over it, I wondered how it got that long. Then I remembered what Reyna said.

Rushing over to the mirror, I stopped and stared at the woman I saw in place of me. A teenager, about fifteen, with red lips and high cheekbones and mysterious eyes. I was tall and actually had curves and boobs and a flat stomach.

"Holy hell." I whispered, examining my body in the mirror.

My clothes were too small for me now, so I changed into a black tank top and loose baggy pants. Thankfully, my feet were still the same size, so I just slipped on my black boots.

When I got outside and into the kitchen, everybody stopped and stared. I guess I was a sight to behold. But instead of using my beauty like a whip, I just scowled and snapped. "What are you guys looking at?"

"Whoa Emily!" Trellis said when he walked in the door and saw me. His eyes went up and down, trying to take me in and failing. His mouth opened, making him look like a fish.

"Yes Trellis?" I asked, drawing his attention back up to my face.

"I….just….I mean…wow." He finally said, unable to say anything else.

I just decided to ignore him and sat down at the table, grabbed a piece of toast and then swiped some butter onto it. Popping it into my mouth, I calmly chewed before pouring myself some orange juice. Trellis just stood there, watching me eat with amazement.

"Umm, I got to go…do something…over there." He finally muttered before stumbling out of the room, face flushed.

"Yup. He so likes you." Luger said beside me, and I grinned.


	8. The Aftermath

Emily

When I walked out of the kitchen, chewing on an apple, Trellis was waiting for me. He leaned forward and I swallowed my apple, my mouth suddenly dry.

"Umm…hey." I say, wishing to get out of this conversation like right now.

"Hey." He said, but instead of sounding friendly it sounded husky and sexy.

"Trellis, listen to me. This is because I'm wearing a push-up bra and a skin-tight tank top. Anyway, you're sixteen and I'm ten and the age difference is huge and we wouldn't be able to be together…" I was babbling now.

"Emily?"

"Yes Trellis?" I asked, hoping he could somehow make this not happen (I mean, I just revealed I'm wearing a push-up bra!).

"Shut up." He said, and before I could say something he kissed me right on the lips.

His arms wrapped around my hips, deepening the kiss. Trellis' lips tasted like mints and a bit of cinnamon, and I realized he probably had been eating a cinnamon roll earlier. I kissed him back, trying to grab at these emotions I was feeling.

When he pulled away he let his lips linger near mine before he pulled away, and his eyes stared into mine with such desperation and need. Then he leaned down and kissed me again, and I wondered if he would do this to me every day or if this was just temporary.

_Probably temporary. This body won't last forever, but until then I should just enjoy this. _

Emily

After making out with Trellis, we walked around the ship for the rest of the day, laughing and talking and sharing a few more passionate kisses. I didn't want it to end. But I knew that it would stop and then Trellis wouldn't like me and what just happened would end.

Sadly, that happened in the middle of the night.

When I woke up, I ran my hands over my hair and felt it back at its normal length. Looking down, I saw that I didn't have boobs anymore and was once again flat-chested. No push-up bra could get me those boobs again.

Sighing, I changed out of my now-too-big clothes. Looking at my old clothes, I realized that due to my growth spurt they were ripped and torn. Sighing, I reached into my closet and found a loose jacket and a pair of loose jeans. Not good fighting clothes but they were all I had.

Stepping into the kitchen, I realized that everybody just seemed to glance at me before looking away, like they didn't really like me now. Would Trellis like me? That thought circled around in my head.

Fortunately, Trellis didn't embarrass me since he didn't show up during breakfast, so I was clearing the table when he showed up.

"Hey, how's my favorite-…oh." He said, looking a bit disappointed. Asshole.

"Yeah, you must be totally disappointed now that I don't have cleavage." I snap, and he winces yet blushes at the same time.

After slamming the dishes into the sink for Luger to do, I stomped past Trellis and out of the kitchen, turning to go to the library.

"Emily, I didn't mean it like that. You just shocked me, that's all." I kept walking.

"Emily, please look at me. I have something I need to tell you." He said, and I could hear the pleading in his voice. Turning, I sighed and gave him one last chance.

"Emily Hayes, I don't care how old you are. You are the most amazing, talented, perfect girl I've ever seen. I don't care now that you look like yourself again, because I like you more than the older version of you." He said, and I stared up into his eyes.

"Trellis, I…" I didn't know how to respond. I like you too? You're perfect but I can't risk being with you since your father might hate me or something?

"I don't care if you don't like me. I just want you to know that, and if you want to be friends, that's fine by me." He said, then turned and walked away.

I watched him go, my mind and mouth trying to connect so I can tell my mouth what to say. Finally the circuits connected, and I gasped. "Trellis, wait."

He stopped and turned back to me, hope flickering over his face.

"I like you too." I rushed out, and then wanted to take it back.

"You-you do?" He stammered, and I nodded.

He was quiet for a moment, and I wondered what was running through his head. Then I was in his arms. "Oh Emily." He sighed into my hair, hugging me. "I'm so happy."

"Me too." I admit, curling into his arms with a smile. I wasn't lying.

"Well, this is awkward." A voice said behind us, and I turned to see Luger, a grin on his face.

I jumped, but Trellis hugged me against him ever harder, making me even redder.

"Luger, you will not speak of this to anyone." He commanded, and Luger nodded, still grinning. I don't think he really cared about being sworn to secrecy.

"Of course Trellis. Your father would have a hissy fit and get even madder at you than he already is." Luger said, and I stared at Trellis.

"You're dad's mad at you?" I asked, and Trellis looked over my shoulder to glare at Luger.

"Yeah. He isn't exactly happy that I haven't killed you yet."

"Are you going to?" I asked, afraid if he said yes.

"Of course not love. I don't like him anyway." He said, and I sighed, relieved.

"Well, I'm going to let you two lovebirds alone." Luger said, and then vanished into the kitchen.

"It's so weird being called lovebirds now." I told him at nine at night in his room, collapsed on his chest as he stroked my hair.

"I know right. But I'm so happy to be with you, I don't really care." He answered, kissing me on the top of my head.

"Trellis?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Emily." He said, and he kissed my lips before we drifted off to sleep.


End file.
